Irish firm in can deal

INDUSTRY

AN IRISH manufacturing group has inked a deal to purchase Impress Cooperative, one of Europe's biggest manufacturers of cans. Private equity company Doughty Hanson & Co sold the firm for €1.7bn.

The new group, trading as Ardagh Packaging Group, will employ more than 14,000 people across five continents and expects sales in excess of €3bn.

Irish Glass Bottle was a subsidiary of Ardagh plc before production ceased in 2002, with the loss of 375 jobs. Ardagh Glass is the largest glass manufacturer in the UK and the third-biggest player in Europe, while Impress is the number two can manufacturer in Europe as well as the world's biggest seafood can-maker.